Our Mission & Vision

De Soto Baptist Church is a family oriented church affiliated with the American Baptist Churches of the U.S.A.
 
“Engaged in the Ministry of Reconciliation” is our mission statement.
 

Our ultimate goal is to glorify God through worship, study, service, and fellowship. We seek to put this into practice by sharing the life-changing message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of love!

Jesus invites you to be a part of his community of believers, and as a disciple, share with the world God’s love, while growing in that love yourself.  Jesus’ invitation includes sharing the Good News in word and deed as we live with compassion and work for justice in this world.
 
American Baptists are a Christ-centered, biblically grounded, ethnically diverse people called to radical personal discipleship in Christ Jesus.  Our commitment to Jesus propels us to nurture authentic relationships with one another; build healthy churches; transform our communities, our nations and our world; engage every member in hands-on ministry; and speak the prophetic word in love.
 
As a people of prayer, purpose, and passion, we are in the forefront of creating a community of faith where people of every race, nationality and culture gather as one in worship, service and work.
 
The heart of the gospel is God’s redemptive love.  In our life together, the world will see the power of forgiveness to overcome alienation, the strength of love to transform hate, the power of grace to break the bonds of guilt, the triumph of hope over despair, and the victory of faith over doubt.
 
Through the cross of Christ we embrace the world as neighbor.  Our vision for mission energizes a multitude of servant ministries of evangelism, discipleship, leadership, new church development, social  justice, healing, peacemaking, economic development and education.  Empowered by the Holy Spirit, we work together in mutual submission, humility, love, and giving that the gospel might be preached and lived in all the world.
 
 

Richard Copeland (retired)

The pastoral team of Richard and Mary Etta Copeland has retired after 55 years or serving the DeSoto Baptist church and ministering to the entire city of DeSoto, Kansas.  Below is information on their journey.

The journey to De Soto Baptist actually began more than 7 decades ago, with parents instilling within me the call to be in church every time the doors were unlocked! And what a blessing to recognize this American Baptist journey as the greatest blessing I could ask for, beginning with the Garnett Baptist Church, with arrival at De Soto Baptist more than 50 years ago. In addition to earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology & Education from Ottawa University, those years also brought into my life Mary Etta Jones, who was feeling God’s call to become a Pastor’s wife; and between semesters our Jr. year we were married.  Attending Central Baptist Theological Seminary where I earned the Master of Divinity came next, with opportunities with Youth Programs at First Baptist of Leavenworth and Calvary Baptist in Kansas City, Kansas.

Upon graduation from Central our first pastorate involved 2 very active open country churches in the East Central Area – New Hope Baptist near Wellsville and Ruhama Baptist near Rantoul. Although very blessed and happy in these congregations, when a very strong tug on our lives came from De Soto Baptist, our answer had to be “Yes, Lord, Yes.” During these years came the blessings of our two children, Richelle Hodges, an Elementary teacher in De Soto School District, married to Jeff Hodges,and Jonathan, a Theatre teacher also in De Soto District and married to Heidi. A great additional blessing has also been the involvement at De Soto Baptist of our 3grown grandchildren, Leslie, Jenna, & Jonny.

During these years Mary Etta also completed 50 years in the field of Education, most of those at De Soto High School in the field of Choral Music and Psychology. And this past year Richard & Mary Etta were inducted into the first DHS Hall of Fame in recognition of their Community involvement. Richard’s real passion is interacting with people from all walks of life, sharing his theme of “Engagement in the Ministry of Reconciliation” that lives will be changed through the power of God’s love!

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